811. Thunderbird and changing POP/IMAP email settings

Life isn't simple with free software. I only wanted to change my email account to IMAP from POP3. Looked simple enough. Go to settings and then Server Settings, then change POP to IMAP, save, restart Thunderbird and presto --- BUZZ...POP Error! Let me tell you really how to do it successfully, then guess at what causes the problem:

To change from POP3 to IMAP email server handler. Go to server settings for the email account and then bottom select from account actions, REMOVE ACCOUNT. That's right, you will remove the account and then do ADD ACCOUNT to add it back. When you ADD it back you will be asked email address, name you want to use on emails, and password. The next screen will ask (defaults to IMAP) you whether you want a POP3 or IMAP protocol. Make sure you select IMAP (just reverse if you want POP3) and let it rip. You will be in business after a restart of Thunderbird. So, instead of messing with server settings and changing Incoming Server to POP or IMAP and the correct pot, the workable solution is to REMOVE ACCOUNT and add it back.

What possibly causes the problem? Possibly the Local Library name at the bottom of the Server Settings screen. I would suspect that once you change from POP to IMAP above in the Incoming Server field it will generate e NEW file ID that needs to be in the Local Library field at bottom. Changing POP to IMAP does NOT change this ever. So, for example, I changed POP to IMAP and the Local Library remained the POP file in AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird/Mail/... and needs to be AppdDat/Roaming/thunderbird/IMAPmail/.... that gets created. I don't plan to try this to test my theory because Remove/Add of account is a simple, workable way to do it!

If you are now asking the difference between POP3 and IMAP, here's a very short, concise explanation: IMAP allows sharing and managing emails, including resends, deletes, etc., from any of you devices where you can read your email. For example, I have a PC with W10 system using Thunderbird, a Kindle, and an XP system with Thunderbird. If I work from my Kindle I can delete an email and it will be gone from the other devices too. I can use any of the systems to manage emails. Also, if you spifiy IMAP as a server option, the server KEEPS you messages on its site until you delete them there (Specifically). Thus, the amount of storage will build up until you delete them. 

Now, POP3 is completely independent, meaning y9ou DELETE from one system and the others stay in tact. ONLY yhe system your are working with performs the action you do. Thus means, you must handle the same emails in each system to remove them. However, I believe, if you bring up a system and delete a message and have not yet brough up any of the other systems, then you sill not see the message you deleted in the other systems when they do become active. Unlike the IMAP case that always saves messages in its IN basket and doesn't give you an option to delete to Trash, POP allows you to  DELETE to TRASH bucket for a while. You probably have an option at your ISP's website to specify whether deleted messages will go to Trash, AND how long they will remain in TRASH.

Enjoy